UtaPri Next gen
by Koala of Fandoms
Summary: Riku enters the illustrious Saotome Academy, hoping to become a successful composer like his mother. While there, he meets a colourful cast of characters that all share a connection to him. They're the children of the famous idol groups Starish, Quartet Night and Heaven's Gate. What challenges will they face? Who will Riku meet? Find out!
1. Prologue

My father and mother got married and had me and my siblings when STARISH disbanded. They were getting too old, you see. Their fans grew up and since the fanbase dwindled down, STARISH disbanded. On the day of their final concert, my mum was approached by each member as they confessed their feelings for her. Dad said they all found her attractive and decided to tell her all at once. They would accept whoever she chose and would remain friends regardless. The one she accepted was his. He was the reason she continued working as a composer after all. It has been twenty years since the farewell to STARISH concert. They don't meet up often due to work but they go out, even with the members of Quartet Night and Heaven's Gate on occasion. I hear all kinds of stories from my parents about their time at Satome Academy and the friends they made. All I can hope is that I can make new friends when I start. My name is Riku Ichinose. This is the story of how I got torn between two idol groups.


	2. Chapter 1

I stood at the entrance of Saotome Academy. I had passed the entrance exam with no problems but my nerves were on edge. My knees felt like they could buckle at any time. My heart pounded in my chest.I adjusted the tie on my uniform and straightened the strap on my bag. With a deep breath, I stepped through the gate. It caused a wave of nausea to hit me. What if I don't make friends? What if I fail while at the academy? Other kids began walking through the gate with me. Some of the older students stood around, waving their arms and directing the new students. One girl seemed particularly enthusiastic. She bounced excitedly, her long blonde hair flowing behind her. Her glasses bounced slightly as did her uniform. How was she so excited? She glanced over at me, grinning. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the morning sun, making my heart skip a beat. She was cute, I'd admit. Suddenly, she spotted something just behind me as her grin grew wider.  
"Ryuya!" She called as she ran past me. The smell of roses and sugar lingered in front of me as my head turned to see where she ran to. She hugged a brunette boy almost half her size.  
"Gah! Let go of me!"  
"Oh come on! I haven't seen you in ages! Isn't it common for besties to hug when they haven't seen each other?"  
"Yeah but it's not common to run at them and crush them into a hug!"  
His cheeks turned red. Though his face expressed anger or annoyance, his blue eyes suggested he was happy to see her. He was pretty cute too. He spotted me watching them. I turned quickly, heading over to my class. I must've looked like a weirdo. I counted to ten, slowing my breathing as I went.

" _You'll do fine, Riku. Our days at Saotome Academy were some of our best." Dad said.  
_ " _Your way with lyrics have always been inspiring. You will do fine." Mum said, packing my lunch. I nod, fiddling with my shirt. Dad's hand reassuringly squeezed my shoulder.  
_ " _Riku, you're very much like your mother. If you can find an idol to write for, you will become a worldwide sensation."_

I felt at ease as their voices rang in my head. Class 1-B. From outside the room, I could hear voices laughing and chatting happily. I grabbed the handle of the door, my grip tight. Here goes nothing. I pulled open the door.

No one noticed my entrance. They simply continued their conversations.  
"Oh hey, it's you from earlier!" A boy's voice called. Looking up, I saw the boy and girl from earlier. He beckoned me over with his hand.  
"Um… Hi." I replied.  
"Name's Ryuya." He stated. He pointed to the girl and introduced her as Maki. She stared at me before grabbing my face between her hands.  
"What… What are… You doing?" I asked, feeling my face heating and becoming sweaty.  
"You're so cute!" She squealed, hugging me.  
"Huh?" My mind raced. This was all so sudden!  
"Maki, let go of the poor guy." Ryuya stated, pulling her away.  
"Awwwww. He reminds me of a puppy! I couldn't help it!" Her smile grew wider.  
"What's your name, man?" Ryuya asked.  
"Riku… Riku Ichinose."  
They both stared at me.  
"Ichinose… Like Tokiya Ichinose?"  
My eyes widened.  
"How do you know my dad?"  
"Your dad is Tokiya Ichinose?!" Maki asked, shocked.  
"What's the big deal?" I asked, stepping back slightly.  
"You don't know who we are, do you?" Ryuya questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
I shook my head.  
"Ryuya Kurusu and Maki Shinomiya."  
The surnames sounded familiar. Then it hit me. Maki's blonde hair and Ryuya's blue eyes.  
"Wait… Syo Kurusu and Natsuki Shinomiya?!"  
"They're our papas!" Maki giggled.  
"I didn't think you guys would be coming here!" I said.  
"Hehe! It's great to finally meet you, Riku. Dad told me a lot about you." Maki smiled softly.  
"Your dad told you about me?"  
"Yeah! Dad loves hearing about the other STARISH kids."  
"And Uncle Shinomiya won't stop talking about Maki." Ryuya grinned.  
"Shush, Ryu!" Maki blushed slightly.  
"So, are you guys idols or composers?"  
"We're hoping to get into the idol classes. Maki sings very well and we kinda have idol groups already."  
Idol groups?  
"You're gonna make a mix gender idol group?"  
"No, no, no. We're part of different groups. But maybe we could collab! What is your idol name, Riku?"  
"Oh… I'm hoping to go to the composers' class."  
"Oh cool! Maybe we can ask you to compose some songs?"  
"Sure." I smiled.  
More students filed in and I sat in front of Ryuya. I didn't want to sit surrounded by strangers. The last few students took their seats as man in a faded red suit walked in and introduced himself as our homeroom teacher for the year.  
"Head over to the hall where our headmaster will instruct you on what to expect here."  
The students rose and walked to the hall. Maki grabbed my hand.  
"We can walk together!" She exclaimed. I kept my eyes to the floor. Her hand was… really soft. We walked and talked as we entered the entrance hall. The newer students stood around, not entirely sure what to do while the older students looked excited. The teachers meandered around the sides of the hall, chatting amongst themselves. I stood with my new peers, equally confused.  
"Where's the headmaster?" I asked.  
"I'd assume he's prepared a grand entrance. I bet it'll be huge!" Ryuya grinned.  
A buzz of excitement washed over the crowd, only to die down when a young man waltzed onto the stage. Super Saotome. Eldest son and heir to the Saotome fortune. Much like his dad, he too was an idol famous across the globe. After a dispute with his composer and manager, he decided to take up position as head of the academy. He wore a simple brown suit with a blue tie and sunglasses. His vibrant red hair was brushed over the left side of his head.  
"Good morning, students. And welcome to our newest members. From the bottom of my heart, I hope you will feel welcomed into our school." His head bowed as he said this. Where was the grand entrance? I thought Super Saotome would be as energetic off stage as he would be on stage. Plus, he didn't have the accent he normally had as he spoke.  
"First of all, I would like to congratulate our current students for succeeding to the advancing years. You have persevered, and will continue as you finish your time here."  
As he droned on, it seemed that the teachers and older students were just as confused. They would cover their mouths with their hands and whisper to one another. One of the older students nearby whispered something about fireworks and a horse. Super droned on, making my brain feel numb.  
"Oh, and one final announcement," He stated "Could the following students please come join me on the stage. Ryuya Kurusu, Maki Shinomiya, Suzu Jinguji, Kentaro Hijirikawa, Hinata Ittoki, Harumi Aijima, Deedee Kurosaki, Fumiko Kotobuki, Hibiki Mikaze, Alexander Camillo and, of course, Riku Ichinose."  
When he called my name, I felt a cold shiver down my spin. How would he know my name? Why did he call me? I hesitated as I followed Maki and Ryuya. I felt the hall's eyes stare at me, judging me. Their hands covered their mouths as they whispered to one another. My body began shaking. I felt my heart beat faster. Oh God, was he gonna kick me out? Maki's hand gently rubbed my back.  
"These, for those of you who haven't recognised their last names, are the children of some of our most famous and well known alumni. They have some of the highest scores of exam results that this school has ever known. I expect amazing things from you lot in particular. So, with that said-"  
Super was cut off by an avalanche of confetti and glitter covering the hall, causing those in it to gasp. The hall stayed silent, Super's face looking disgruntled.  
"I told you tech lot, THE CONFETTI WASN'T MEANT TO COME DOWN 'TIL THE END!" Super roared. I jumped. His accent came into full effect.  
"God, ya really can't get the help these days, can ya?" He sighed. He loosened his tie.  
"Well, after that whole fiasco, I gotta run."  
"Wait, what were you going to say?" One of the girls on stage asked.  
"Ah… Shoot, what was it?" He scratched his head. He paced around for a moment.  
"Oh well, probably wasn't that important if I forgot it. Well, CIAO!" He said hurriedly as he jolted towards the sky, flying around the hall before exiting out a top window. I heard a thud outside and Super crying that he was ok. While the older students and teachers laughed, I looked over at the others on the stage. They seemed to be chatting amongst themselves or standing, looking off silently. Did they all want to become idols like Maki and Ryuya? Or was I amongst a group of fellow composers? Either way, my mind raced with the possibilities of the year ahead.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N- Had a few people asking when the cast of UtaPri would appear. STARISH, Quartet Night and HEAVENS won't be main characters like Riku, Maki and Ryuya but I plan for them to make small appearances, such as Riku talking to his parents for advice or surprise visits/showing my interpretations on where they end up after they retire! Some may also play larger roles into their kids story lines further along the story as well. If anyone would like to see full colour art of the characters (plus some info about them I probably won't include in the story), check out my Deviantart page here-** **koalaoffandoms/gallery/59304213/Gijinka-and-2nd-gens** **.**

Everyone walked out of the hall, wandering back to their classrooms. I lost Maki and Ryuya in the crowds, ending up walking by myself. I noticed people watching me again. There were many famous Ichinose's in the idol and music industries but only one was connected to STARISH. As I rounded a corner, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. I squeaked as my back hit a wall and two hands hit the wall either side of my head. A tall guy stood to my right and a girl around my height stood to my left. The guy had short dull orange hair, tanned skin and dark blue eyes. The girl, on the other hand, had dark hair in a side ponytail and piercing green eyes. She must've been of Indian descent because of her skin tone, dark hair and the elaborate jewelry that hung around her neck and wrists.  
"So," the boy's sultry voice began " _you_ are the oldest Ichinose child?" He scanned my body.  
"Y… Yeah. Weren't you… Weren't you listening to Mr. Saotome?" I replied.  
"We were merely curious, dear prince. Seeing as we have never seen you before." The girl chuckled softly, scanning me again. This felt so violating. Instinctively, I covered myself.  
"Me and Suzu here wanted to ask a small question, Ichinose. Are you hoping to go into composing?"  
"Um… Yeah."  
Her lips curled into a smile. Like the cat who got the cream.  
"That settles it, then. You are going to compose songs for our group, Diamond Night."  
"Excuse me? I think he'd much rather write for Clover. We're all guys, he'd probably feel more comfortable with us." Suzu grabbed my wrist, winking.  
"Hahaha. Very funny, Suzu. But I think he'd much rather be with an all girls idol group." She grabbed my other wrist.  
"Oh yeah, you girls will be the perfect distraction."  
"And what does that mean?" Her eyes shifted to Suzu as her hands grabbed her hip.  
"I'm saying, maybe a group of all girls, particularly Maki, Fumiko and yourself, would be a hindrance to his concentration. He is a young man, after all." He copied the girl's actions.  
"Ha! As if!" She sneered. As they continued their bickering, I snuck around the corner before full on sprinting to class. I spotted Maki and Ryuya and caught up to them.  
"I...I was just in an argument with people that want me to be their composer." I said between breaths.  
"Oh, that's great, Riku! What're their names?" Maki asked. We took our seats at class as the other students filed in too.  
"The guy was called Suzu and… I never got the girls name. She had a side ponytail. Really dark hair. A lot of jewelry."  
"That's Suzu Jinguji and Harumi Aijima. They're the leaders of our idol groups!"  
"Really?"  
Maki and Ryuya nodded.  
"Though you seem like a great guy, I'd prefer to see how you write first." Ryuya stated bluntly. I stared for a moment before nodding. The teacher came back in and began explaining the differences between the composers and idols. All I could think of was everything that had happened. Not two minutes in and I had the leaders of idol groups wanting me to write for them. Was I really good enough for them?  
"Your first assignment will be fairly simple. Composers will pair up with an idol and compose a song for them to perform in the hall during next week's assembly. Seeing as there are more idols in this class than composers, each composer will be pairing with two idols and composing a duet. You only have a week, so choose your pair now and you can spend the rest of the day coming up with ideas and composing."  
I glanced nervously at Maki and Ryuya.  
"Failure to compose a song or perform at the assembly will result in immediate expulsion of the composers and idols." He continued. The class muttered amongst themselves, shocked at this. The teacher raised his hand, silencing them. "This _is_ Saotome Academy and you lot are only in the A class. Thousands would do anything to get here and we only accept those who are talented and dedicated to becoming the best. You may leave the classroom but I expect evidence as to your work. Good luck." He smiled. As the students began to migrate to their friend groups, Maki and Ryuya linked arms and stood in front of me.  
"Rikuuuuuuu!" They sang in chorus. I laughed slightly.  
"I'd be happy to write for you."  
"It's settled! Let's get to the library!" Ryuya grinned triumphantly, wandering out of class. I followed with Maki. We wandered around corridors until we came to the door labelled "Library". As I stepped through, the smell of books and ink hit me. The library was huge! High ceilings filled with books. Mostly empty desks, only sprinkles of students sitting around surrounded with literature. Odd, seeing as it was the first day of the year. There was a small help desk to the side with a short woman standing behind it, organising books. It was so quiet except the gentle turning of pages, scribbling in notebooks and the soft keys of the piano. A soft sunlight seeped its way into the room through large windows.  
"Wow…" I breathed. This was gonna be my heaven. Ryuya made his way to a table big enough for three chairs and took the seat nearest the corner of the room.  
"So what's the plan for this performance?" Ryuya asked. Maki sat down, resting her head in her palm. She shrugged. I sat beside the two.  
"Maybe a song about friendship? Seeing as the two of you are so close." I suggested. Ryuya nodded, pondering. I brought out a notebook and wrote it down.  
"We could do a cute pop song? About reaching the stars or something."  
"That'll be popular though. We need something different. Something unique."  
We stared in different directions and hummed in thought.  
"Let's start with what kind of song you guys want to do."  
"Cute pop! That's a staple of idol culture." Maki chimed. I noted it down.  
"No, no, no. We need to do a ballad or metal or something."  
"Well, I'm certainly not doing screamo." She crossed her arms.  
"I never said screamo was an option."  
"I know you, Ryuya. You always wanna be unique and special."  
"To help us stand out, Maki! You wanna succeed, don't you?" He began to shout at this point. The lady behind the desk did the classic "shush" librarian routine. Maki frowned, disappointed. Ryuya huffed, putting his feet on the table.  
"Get your feet off!" Maki whispered in an annoyed tone. Ryuya scowled and did as he was told.  
"So, you want something pop but with a twist? Like maybe a more prominent guitar solo or a deeper bass line? That wouldn't be a problem, you know? Keep the tempo fast but upbeat to match the tone of the lyrics." I interjected.  
They nodded in agreement.  
"Perfect." I scrawled down some notes in the notebook and began humming.  
"Oh that might be a good chorus!" Maki said, a sparkle of hope in her eyes. Ryuya nodded.  
"Great, we've got a start." I wrote some musical notes and a thought passed my mind. "About the theme… Maybe we can do lyrics based on love?"  
They both looked at me as if I had just spoken in Spanish. I raised an eyebrow. Maki looked to the side.  
"Love stories would be common amongst opposite gender pairs." She states bluntly.  
"Ye… Yeah. Besides, there's no reason doing a love story if we're only friends."  
I blinked. They thought I meant romantic love?  
"I mean friendly love. The whole concept of Philia."  
"Huh?" They looked confused.  
"Philia is the Greek concept of love between friends. Like Eros is romantic or sexual love and Storge is familial love."  
They made noises of understanding.  
"That'd be great!" Maki grinned, intertwining her fingers and leaning towards me. I wrote down some ideas but jolted at the sound of the bell.  
"Oh, that's lunch! I'mma grab something from the cafeteria. Maki, are you coming?" Ryuya stood up, gathering his bag.  
"I'm gonna stay here for a while! I wanna continue researching ideas! But would you mind picking up a sandwich for me?" She smiled. Ryuya nodded and asked me if I wanted anything. Something told me that Maki wanted me to stay for a bit.  
"Mum made me lunch, so I'll eat it as we work."  
"Can you eat here?" Ryuya asked.  
"No, but we can always sit outside for a bit for a lunch break." I smiled. Ryuya shrugged and wandered off. When he was out of sight, Maki let out a heavy sigh. As if she had been holding her breath for a while.  
"Are you ok?" I asked. Maki looked down but nodded. I could sense she wasn't telling me the truth. "Did I hit a nerve with the love comment?"  
"No… It's just… Ryuya always has such big plans and always wants to stand out. He may not look like it because of his appearance but his ideas and plans are always too ambitious."  
"Well, have you explained that to him?"  
She shook her head.  
"I've… Always admired his determination." Her face flushed a pale pink hue.  
"He does seem to have a strong drive, quite an ambitious guy."  
She nodded.  
"That's what I like about Ryuya."  
I raised an eyebrow.  
"Like as in friends?"  
She contemplated an answer, staring at a small stain on the table.  
"Please don't tell him. I… Don't want to ruin what we have."  
"I promise." I pretended to zip up my lips. She sighed. I knew what she was going to say.  
"I think… I love Ryuya. You see, we've known each other since we were babies. Papa and Uncle Syo have always been childhood friends so, of course, I was always friends with Ryuya and his brothers. But Ryuya was my first friend. He was super supportive of me and was there during some... tough times. We'd go to the same schools, share similar hobbies and would sing duets in talent shows. He'd always say he wanted to marry me and become a famous idol couple. At least… We have half of that dream coming true." She smiled at the stain again. It was as if she was apologising to it, her eyes full of sadness. I stared at her.  
"Why can't you tell him?"  
"Weren't you listening, Riku? I don't want to ruin what we have! Even just being his friend would-"  
"Sweetie, would you keep it down?" a male's voice asked.  
I turned and looked behind Maki. An older man stood behind her. He was a good foot taller than me. His hair was the same shade as Maki's but his eyes were a piercing green. He looked down at her through his square glasses.  
"I'm sorry, Papa." She said in a hushed tone. He strolled closer, patting her shoulder.  
"Who's your little friend, sweetie?" He looked over at me.  
"I'm Riku Ichinose." I said sheepishly.  
"Ah, Tokiya's eldest! The pleasure is mine. I'm Natsuki Shinomiya. Maki's father." He walked over to me and held out his hand. I took his hand and he shook it enthusiastically. Natsuki Shinomiya. The name brought up memories of watching the old concerts of Starish. He seemed so much calmer. Much more reserved and quiet than the Natsuki I remembered.  
"What are you doing here, Papa?" Maki turned to look up at her father.  
"I have a shift today and thought I'd come say hi."  
"A shift, sir?" I questioned.  
"Oh, I work here at the library part time. The rest of my time is spent either raising Maki or working down at the animal shelter."  
"That must be very fulfilling." I smiled. He nodded.  
"It is. Seeing both happy faces and happy animals really warms my heart." He smiled brightly. Like the young Natsuki I'd seen before. "Please send your parents my regards, Riku, I better head off back to work." He waved and walked off. We sat there for a moment in silence.  
"So, about the performance…" Maki began. We continued discussing ideas until Ryuya came back. By that point, we were all hungry so we wandered to a small bench outside. We continued chatting about this and that. Mainly the performance and our lives before Saotome. Turns out, I've missed a lot. After I finished my lunch, the bell rang and we went back to the library.

That afternoon, we figured out that we might as well do a song full of cliches and focusing on friendship and the like. Not a problem, I thought. Me and Ryuya wandered back to the boys dorms.  
"I'm so hyped for the first performance! Singing your songs with Maki will be awesome!"  
"Yeah." I chuckled nervously. I began feeling the pressure. Our teacher's voice rang in my head " _Failure to compose a song or perform at the assembly will result in immediate expulsion of the composers and idols."_ I felt a wave of nausea hit me. What would mum and dad say if I failed? If I had to leave Saotome, what would my siblings think? I didn't want Hayato or Akira to think badly of me. Then again…  
"Riku? Yo, you okay?" Syo's voice asked as I snapped back into reality.  
"Huh, what?"  
"I asked which dorm room you were in."  
"Oh, I'm in room seventeen. You?"  
"What are the odds! I'm staying in eighteen!"  
"Oh cool! We can discuss the performance more tomorrow, than!" I smiled. We parted and I entered my dorm. The room was kind of a shock to me as I realised that the other half of the room had become occupied. When I first moved in, there were two beds but no sign anyone was going to stay in the bed opposite. Now, the bed was covered in magazines and DVDs and a bass guitar and microphone hung off the bed frame. The opposite closet and chest of draws had clothes spewing from the doors. The thing that most caught my eye though was a corkboard. On it were tickets from concerts, random receipts, notes and three photos. The leftmost picture showed a small family of four. A father, mother, older sister and a young boy. The dad looked oddly familiar. Ginger hair tied back, piercing blue gaze and a smart suit. The middle picture showed a ginger haired boy with shorter hair in a selfie with another boy who, once again, looked familiar. The final photo was taken from the final concert of STARISH. My eyes widened as I wandered over, gently touching the picture. The young men in the photo crowded around a petite woman with peach coloured hair and bright greeny yellow eyes.  
"Mum…" I whispered out loud. The man with the ponytail was in the photo, grinning with tears in his eyes and an arm around one of the others. Dad and Natsuki stood beside him, smiling just as wide and with tears streaming out of Natsuki's eyes. I stared at the ponytail man harder, trying to remember his name. Ren, was it?  
"Can I ask why you're touching my stuff?" A voice asked from behind me. I yelped, turning around. Suzu, the boy from earlier, stood in the doorway. At first, he looked angry but when he saw my face, he blinked and smiled.  
"Ah, Riku, it's you."  
"Sorry Suzu… I didn't realise you were staying here too."  
"No sweat. I figured we would meet again."  
I laughed nervously.  
"The pictures you… have are really… really…. sweet. You must…. Must really love your family." I sputtered.  
"I guess you could say that." He took a seat on his bed and patted a seat beside him. I sat down. "Why haven't I seen you around before, Ichinose?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, whenever my parents meet up with their friends, I sometimes join. I've known Harumi, Kentaro, Deedee, Alexander and Syo for years and I'm acquaintances with Maki and the others. But you have always been out of the picture. I've seen your siblings but I always assumed you were in your twenties like my sister. Busy with work or whatever. Why haven't I seen you?"  
I bit my lip. "I just don't like large gatherings." I lied. He scanned my face, eyebrow raised before shrugging.  
"I understand. Well, roommate, can I persuade you to write some songs for Clover?"  
I laughed slightly. "After the first assignment, I'd be happy to."  
"Oh yeah. More than happy to wait. Hey, you should meet the other guys! I'm sure they'd love to see you."  
"I'd like to just get on with my homework for now, thanks."  
Suzu shrugged, laying back on the bed. I sat at my desk, beginning to compose. I grabbed some books and wrote down the notes, humming to myself as I went. Maki and Ryuya wanted upbeat, something to go with their lyrics of friendship. I got to work.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for the support so far! I've really enjoyed writing this fanfic and will continue it as far as I can! I know in the original anime and games, the main rule at Saotome Academy is that idols cannot be in relationships, However, I have used some creative licensing to allow them to be romantic in secret. Rules can change with the times! Also- guess the song Suzu sings near the end of the chapter (hint- it's been translated into English)!**

My eyes felt heavy and my mind was a blank haze. I felt like someone had smashed my head in with a bat. The clock beside me glowed a dark green as it read 5:18 am. Five am? Five am?! It couldn't have been five in the morning! I looked over to Suzu, sound asleep sprawled out with sheets barely covering him. He snored softly as I felt my eyes drooping. I rubbed the grit from my eyes, closing my notebook and flopping my body onto my bed. The pillow was cool and begged me to stay there and sleep. So I did. I passed out asleep until Suzu woke me up.  
"Ichinoooooooose." I heard his voice call. "Come on, sleepy head, Ryuya is waiting outside for you."  
I grumbled. Why couldn't I just stay in bed just a little longer? I felt myself slipping back into my dreams when a sudden thud shocked me awake. I sat up, looking around frantically. Suzu was at my bedside, looking over to the door. Maki stood in the doorway with her hand on the open door. Ryuya looked at her in pure terror.  
"Riku, why are you sleeping in your clothes from yesterday?" She asked in a sweet tone. I looked down, still seeing my uniform on my body, minus the tie and blazer.  
"Um... I was up until early this morning. I really wanted to get the composing done."  
Ryuya and Maki looked at me quizzically.  
"We have a week to do this assignment. Why are you worrying about it?" Ryuya asked. I had gotten up by this point, trying to get my bedhead under control. I wanted to change into clean clothes but with the three of them standing around me and the door wide open, I didn't feel like I could change.  
"I…. I uh… Wanted to make a good impression on my first… assignment."  
"I get that but it's a week! And you've finished the composing by day two! That's insane."  
I stood there, looking at the floor. Insane? Was my dedication to Saotome really insane?  
"Hey, maybe we should give Riku some privacy? He needs to change. You can talk and continue working once he's ready." Suzu suggested, patting them both on the shoulder. He turned to me, winked and strutted out the door. A sigh escaped my lips. _Thanks Suzu,_ I thought.

After a needed shower and change of uniform, I rushed outside, greeted by Ryuya leaning against a nearby wall and Maki idly chatting beside him.  
"I'm sorry you guys had to see me like that." I said, catching up to them. Maki giggled.  
"It's okay, Riku. We all stay up late sometimes."  
"Let's head to one of the spare rooms and hear what you've got so far." Ryuya began walking towards the main building. Maki and I soon followed. She turned to me and leaned towards me.  
"Ryuya and I admire your dedication, Riku. He actually didn't sleep last night. Spent a lot of the night trying to come up with lyrics." She whispered in my ear. My eyes widened. He stayed up all night too? We idly chatted until we reached a door. "Lesson Room 35" the sign above the door stated. We entered an empty room. It looked like a dance studio with the wooden floor, mirrored walls and bars across the walls. Yet, there was a piano in the far corner.  
"You know how to play, right?" Maki asked. I nodded.  
"Let's get this show on the road then!" Ryuya exclaimed, throwing his bag beside the piano and sitting cross legged on the floor. I sat at the piano and Maki sat gracefully beside Ryuya. She stared at me in anticipation. I gulped slightly as I set up the music I had written the night before. Looking at it after having slept for a while, it was really simplistic. My hands shook as I began playing. I had messed up on the first few notes but I continued anyway. As I played, I had lost myself in concentration on the piano keys. With my mind cleared, I played the last notes. My arms dropped to my sides. Ryuya and Maki stared at me as smiles appeared on their faces.  
"Riku, that was amazing!" Ryuya jumped up, rushing towards the piano.  
"Could you replay it from the chorus? I want to see if the beat will match some of the lyrics I've come up with." Maki asked, producing a few sheets from her bag. I nodded, glancing back to the chorus part. As I began playing, she hummed along softly.  
" _I got you_." She sang, pointing at Ryuya.  
" _And I got you_." He sung back.  
" _Keep me in your thoughts as you run,  
Towards your next goal in life and find your feet.  
Know that when I look at the stars, your smile shines back_."  
They danced around as they continued to sing along to my playing  
" _Oh oh oh,  
Those memories we shared, the times you cried on my shoulder.  
We've got each other_."  
They linked arms and striked a pose. I clapped, chuckling.  
"That sounded great, guys! Let's start from the top." I stated. They nodded, an air of determination exuding from them.  
I began playing from the top.

Hours on, the two idols sat beside each other, gulping down water. Sweat flowed down them like a waterfall.  
"Man, that was great!" Ryuya stated. I nodded, smiling. They seemed really dedicated to becoming idols.  
"How did you guys come up with those lyrics?" I asked, sitting beside them.  
"We took your advice, Riku! The lyrics were inspired by what we have gone through as friends." He wrapped an arm around Maki's shoulder, grinning ear to ear. Maki turned her head to the side, visibly red in the face.  
"How about I go and grab us lunch?" Maki suggested. We agreed and she wandered off. The moment she stepped out of the room, Ryuya sighed heavily, laying on the floor like a starfish. I could read his face as clear as day. There was something nagging him. Yet, I didn't feel that pressing the issue would be the best option.

"Riku… Have you ever been so close to a dream? Like… It's right there in front of you and yet… It's just out of reach?" Ryuya asked. I gave him a puzzled look.  
"I guess there have been times. Why?"  
"Well… I know we've only been friends for a day but I just need to tell someone other than my siblings and Maki… I'm beyond grateful to be here and I've worked my fingers to the bone to be here, but it all seems so far away. Being an idol, seeing my name in lights."  
"We've only just started, Ryuya. And A class aren't that well known. Very rarely have people in our position come out of their first year with debuts."  
"I know but… I just don't understand why I'm a member of Clover, but because I'm the newest member, I'm just shoved into A class." His blue gaze concentrated hard on the ceiling. Must've been hard being the newest member of an idol group.  
"You never know. Plenty of people have moved around between A class and S class. Look at my dad, for example. He was in S and got demoted to A in his first year because he didn't put enough passion into his singing. Maybe you'll be so good, they have no choice but to bring you up to the S class!"  
Ryuya's concentration turned to me.  
"You're right! I can work my butt off and get into S class like the other guys!" He grinned, sitting up as fist pumped the air. But then he stopped.  
"Maybe Maki would make it too if we put everything into the first performance…She deserves all the praise in the world." He looked back at the ceiling.  
"That's always a and her are both great singers."  
"That's it then. I'll work my butt off!"  
I smiled slightly. His determination was as inspiring as Maki said. But part of me kept thinking about her comparisons to Icarus. He wouldn't crash and burn so soon, would he?

A few days passed, and the crashing realisation of Ryuya's Icarus comparison was becoming reality. He would always insist we practiced the song over and over again. We would practice the singing and the dancing until Ryuya felt satisfied. Even when we weren't together, he'd still be practicing. Suzu was walking through the halls around nine o'clock at night and Ryuya was in one of the dance studios, still practicing the steps. I felt worried. We were going to showcase the first song in two days. I stepped outside of my room. Seeing as it was Saturday, I just wore an old shirt, trousers and trainers. No point wearing a uniform if I don't have to. The door next to me opened at the same time and Ryuya stepped out. He looked rather ill. His brown hair was limp and lifeless, he had prominent bags under his eyes and his face was pale.  
"Hey Riku, let's get to practicing." He murmured.  
"Um… Are you ok? You don't look so good, Ryuya."  
"Oh I'm fine, I'm fine." He smiled half-heartedly.  
"Ryuya, maybe we should take a break today? I mean, all this practicing can't be-"  
"I'm fine! We need to get this right for the first performance."  
He stepped forward. On his second step, he bent over and fell to his knees. I rushed over, kneeling beside him. He looked up for a moment and opened his mouth to speak before passing out.  
"Ryuya! Can you hear me?" I called. No response.

I heard footsteps running from the inside of his room. A guy rushed out, kneeling beside me.  
"Come on, we need to get him to the nurse's office." He stated, lifting one of Ryuya's arms over his shoulder. I took the other arm and helped carry him down the hall and back into the main building. We hurried to the nurse's office and I explained what had happened as we laid him in one of the beds in the room. The nurse spoke to a blonde boy with a scarf before coming to look at Ryuya. As she took his temperature and so on, I got to look at the boy that helped me carry Ryuya. He had spikey grey hair, a strong jawline and red eyes. His shirt was buttoned down slightly and his tie was undone. I looked back at the nurse.  
"No fever and no abnormal physical signs. He's just exhausted, boys. Potentially from overworking himself or due to stress. I'll leave him to rest here for a while and will keep an eye on him just incase."  
I sighed, thanking the nurse and leaving with the other boy walking beside me.  
"So, who the hell are you?" He asked. The red eyed boy stared at me, scowling. His voice seemed to have some sort of accent to it.  
"Oh, I'm Riku Ichinose. I'm part of Ryuya's class, but I'm a composer. What's your name?"  
"Deedee. Deedee Kurosaki. Idol and Ryuya's dorm-mate."  
"Oh pleasure to meet you! Are you part of Clover as well?"  
He nodded.  
"Oh awesome!" I smiled at him. He scowled further.  
"Ichinose… Tokiya?"  
"Yeah… Everyone seems shocked that I am his son." I laughed slightly.  
"Well, you don't exactly look like him." He admitted.  
"I… Uh I guess."  
That was straight forward. Thinking about it, I never looked much like dad. My hair was a peachy orange colour, like mum. My siblings all had variants of dad's dark purple. But I do have blue eyes so I guess that matches.  
"Thanks, Deedee." I said as I spotted our dorm rooms.  
"It's fine. Ryuya's always been like that." Deedee explained, closing the dorm door behind him. I sighed, entering my room. Maki mentioned he was overly ambitious but I didn't think to the point of over exhaustion. I grabbed a book and began reading it, trying to calm myself.

Re-reading the same page three times because I kept getting distracted only made me worry more. So, I headed out. Maybe I should visit Ryuya? Yeah. It had only been an hour and he was probably still sleeping, but it wouldn't hurt, would it? I wandered back out to the nurse's office. As I expected, Ryuya was still asleep. But now a short man was just leaving his bedside. A smart suit fitted him perfectly.  
"Are you one of Ryuya's friends?" He asked. I nodded.  
"Sorry, I just wanted to check he was okay."  
"Don't be sorry! I'm glad you're visiting my son." He grinned at me. Syo Kurusu.  
"I'm Riku Ichinose… Composer for Ryuya's first assignment."  
"Ah, pleasure to meet you at last, Ichinose."  
"You too, sir." We shook hands.  
"I'm sorry if Ryuya's been a bother to you at all. He can be overly enthusiastic at times."  
"Not at all! I enjoy working with him. He's got a lot of energy and I enjoy his enthusiasm for becoming an idol. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of dedication."  
Syo's blue eyes blinked slowly at me. It was as if no one had ever said that about Ryuya before. He opened his mouth when someone hurriedly opened the door.  
"Oh Ryuya, not this again!" Maki's voice muttered as her figure walked straight past me and Syo. She sat beside Ryuya's bed and turned to Syo.  
"Uncle Syo, I made sure he ate and drank regularly but he's still overworking himself!"  
"Maki, you know this is how he's always been. He'll obsess about something until he gets himself in a state. Takaya is the exact same way."  
I raised an eyebrow but didn't press who Takaya was.  
"But… I thought I could help this time."  
Syo walked over and patted her shoulder.  
"I'm sure you did, Maki. But it needs to get through to him that he's the one responsible for him, not you."  
Maki sighed, looking over at Ryuya. Syo turned, walking past me.  
"I better get back to work. Thank you both for looking out for my son."  
"No problem, sir." I replied.  
Before leaving, he turned back to me.  
"You can call me Uncle Syo, Riku. No need for sir."  
"Oh... Oh ok. We'll look out for Ryuya, si… Uncle Syo."  
He smiled, before disappearing down the corridor. I sat beside Maki as Ryuya opened his eyes.  
"Wha-" He was cut off by Maki.  
"Again, Ryu? Again?!"  
"Maki… I'm sorry."  
"Sorry doesn't cut it! You're always doing this! How the hell do you let yourself constantly pass out from exhaustion?"  
"I don't mean to!" He sat up in the bed.  
"I don't care! You should look after yourself more!" She sniffled as tears formed in her eyes.  
"I just got carried away, Maki, no need to go crying about it."  
I patted her back gently, trying to comfort her.  
"Calm down, Maki… He's ok now." I said tentatively. She rubbed the tears from her eyes. Ryuya frowned, leaning over and brushing his hand against her cheek. I could see the guilt and sadness in his face. His hand lingered there for a while. Maybe I shouldn't be here? I felt like a third wheel. Maki sighed, holding his hand.  
"I… Love you Ryuya and I don't want you to keep over-exerting yourself."  
Ryuya and I gasped. She confessed her feelings now?! Ryuya's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in shock.  
"What?"  
"Do you really need me to repeat it?" She asked.  
"No… You really love me?"  
She nodded while staring at the floor.  
"I never realised you felt that way."  
 _Obviously,_ I thought.  
"I don't want to ruin what we have, Maki… But I've felt the same way for years now."  
Maki and I stared at Ryuya.  
"Eh?" Her face turned beet red. Sure enough, his did too.  
"I've felt the same way for years… I always wanted to strive for better to show off for you…"  
She tackled him in a hug.  
"Um… I'll head out. Glad you're better Ryuya and I'm happy for the both of you!" I interrupted the moment as I exited. I didn't want to hang around and outstay my welcome with those two. I guess I should say the new couple? I felt a modicum of giddiness though. I closed the dorm door behind me, greeted by Suzu laying on the bed, singing along to his headphones. He opened one eye and stared in my direction. Suzu smiled for a moment before returning to singing along.  
" _No matter how much we act like adults, we still tremble at first experiences_

 _Forgiving me for everything even if it's awkward, I'll give you all of me._ "  
I shrugged. No idea what he was singing.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-**

 **A/N- Sorry if it takes longer to post the next few chapters! I have less time due to university commitments but I will post as often as I can! If you guys are interested in more next gens, I do have other ideas for next generation stories and characters, specifically looking at Ouran High School Host Club since I started a story on the host club's kids reforming the host club. I do also have other next gen character ideas so if you like this, I'd love to know if you want more next gens! Or if you want more Uta no Prince Sama fanfics!**

A few more days passed and Ryuya was getting back into a healthy routine. They weren't open about their relationship since, well, idols were meant to draw in fans by being single. But they were pretty open about it around me. We practiced one more time before the performance.

A performance from S class was just about to finish when Maki, Ryuya and I arrived. A boy sat by the piano, playing an intense melody. Suzu sang and danced around the stage, accompanied by the blue haired boy from the photo in his room. Maki paced back and forth backstage. Ryuya seemed unfazed and instead focused on the music. It seemed to have encaptured him as he stepped back and forth and bobbed his head along. He looked over at me, smiling reassuringly. His gaze wandered towards Maki, face falling into worry. I patted his shoulder. Maki looked terrified of going on stage but with a look to us, she smiled. The song finished and I only heard a few pairs of hands clapping.  
"Good work, Jinguji, Hijirikawa and Sato. Just what I would expect from S Class students. The raw energy and power in that ballad was astounding. But I did not feel any passion from your composer. Did you write this last minute?"  
Sato gave a feeble no sound. Super sighed before stating  
"Be proud of yourselves, boys but continue to work on improving! We'll notify you of your results soon." Suzu, Hijirikawa and Sato bowed before exiting through our side. Suzu smirked at me, the one I guessed was Hijirikawa stared as he walked passed and I didn't even notice Sato walking by me.  
"Next up, Shinomiya Maki and Kurusu Ryuya with their composer, Ichinose Riku."

We fist bumped before entering the stage. It was a performance so I was expecting a crowd of people but to my surprise, there weren't that many in the seats in front of us. Super Saotome, our teacher, a older ginger man and a pink hair woman sat in front of us. I took my seat at the piano.  
"Good morning! We... Uh…. We uh…" Maki stuttered.  
"We'll be performing an original piece called ' _You've got me_ '." I interjected. She glanced at me, smiling in thanks.  
"You can start when you're ready." Super Saotome stated, looking up at us from the rim of his sunglasses. With a deep breath, I began playing the piano. Ryuya and Maki sang in time with the notes and, from where I sat, sounded even better than during our practices. I kept my eyes glued between the piano keys and the notes in front of me. I didn't even glance at the judges or my friends once.

The song came to its supposed ending and I realised how hard I was breathing. I turned to the judges. Super just looked at us, his expression unreadable. But our teacher and the two other people beside him stood, applauding.  
"What else should we have expected from the son of Nanami Haruka?" The ginger man stated, looking over to the woman with a grin.  
"I know! She was always one of my favourites in the composer classes. What did you think, Super?" The woman grinned.

Super stood up silently. My heart kept pounding. Was he mad?  
"I must say, that was EXHILARATING!"  
I jumped from my seat as he shouted the last word.  
"The choreography was behind the music, I will say. However, the music was exciting, your vocals were in time with each other and harmonised in a way that was S class level."  
I glanced over at Ryuya and Maki, their faces sweaty but full of joy. I turned back to the teachers.  
"Be proud of yourselves, you three. You show true promise. Your results will be posted soon." Super smiled at us, gesturing to exit.  
I bowed, thanking them before following the couple off stage. The second we were out of sight, Maki tackle hugged me and Ryuya.  
"I can't believe it! He called us S class level!" She squealed. All I could do was laugh.  
"All that effort didn't go to waste!" Ryuya chimed in. I heard Super call for the next group as we left the hall. We continued back to the dorms, excitedly chatting and hoping our results would be as good as Super said. Maki placed a kiss on Ryuya's cheek before hurrying back to the girl's dorms. I pretended not to notice the blush on his face. Walking up the stairs, I heard arguing but didn't recognise the voices.  
"Sato, you heard Super! The music sounded like it was written yesterday!"  
"Kentaro, I'm sorry! I had been working on it for days!"  
I side glanced Ryuya as we cautiously ascended. Standing in the hallway were the guys who performed before us. Hijirikawa stood with his hands gripping Sato's collar. Suzu pulled Hijirikawa's arms off.  
"Kentaro, stop this! It's our first assignment, no need to get so uptight!"  
"He ruined it! I know he has!" Hijirikawa growled, shoving Suzu hard. He crashed into a nearby wall, wincing, as Kentaro grabbed Sato's collar again. Ryuya ran up to Kentaro, pushing him away forcefully.  
"Kentaro, what's gotten into you?" He shouted.  
"What's gotten into me is a burning anger for Sato! He sabotaged me and Suzu!"  
"Hijirikawa, please calm down!" I added, making sure Sato was okay. He shook slightly but didn't seem hurt. I checked Suzu as well. He winced when I touched the back of his head. It might turn into a bump but wouldn't become serious. Kentaro growled, shoving Ryuya away from him. He pushed me aside as he walked away. Silence.  
"I'm sorry about his behaviour, Sato." Suzu bowed slightly, his face full of embarrassment and guilt. Sato frowned, unable to look in his eyes. With a turn, Sato walked off.  
"What was all that about?" Ryuya asked, brushing his shirt off.  
"I don't know... I thought Kentaro would be upset with the comments but not like this."  
"You're telling me…" He scowled.  
"Maybe you two should try to collaborate with a different composer?" I suggested. Suzu's eyes looked into mine.  
"That's not the problem. See, Hijirikawa's always had a bit of a temper to him. Whether it was over me not giving back his pencil or over a fight with his older brother. But…" He sighed. "You know what? I'll go talk to him in a bit."  
Suzu bumped into my shoulder as he wandered back down the stairs. The front door slammed. I glanced back to Ryuya. His lips were forming a frown, brows furrowed.  
"Come on, you can hang out at mine for a bit." He suggested, walking towards our dorms.  
"It's ok, I might just read for a while."  
Ryuya shrugged, walking into his room and greeting Deedee.  
I sat back on my bed, sighing. What the hell was that about? He didn't need to get angry at that Sato guy.

Suzu returned a few hours later. I glanced up at him, unable to read his facial expression. Was he angry? Or just sad?  
"Ichinose." He stated.  
"Yeah?" I replied. His blue eyes stared at me.  
"Can I ask you something? I know you're in A class but maybe you could help."  
"Hmm?"  
"Would you mind writing me a melody? My class need to perform a solo song and Sato's working with someone else."  
"Um… Sure. Do you have any lyrics I can work with."

He nodded, producing a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket. I took it, reading it over. The first paragraph read-  
 _Your eyes swim in my mind constantly,_

 _Never looking beyond tomorrow._

 _You sit quietly as I watch you from afar,_

 _Do you even know I'm there?_

My eyes continued scanning the page. Each line just got more and more sad.  
"Suzu… This is really emotional. It'd work really well with a piano chorus."  
He smiled.  
"I was thinking more piano and saxophone."  
"Saxophone would work for this part." I smiled, pointing at the chorus. He nodded along, a grin creeping on his face.  
"Well, if you're free, we can jam out tomorrow and come up with something?"  
"Of course!"

My phone woke me up the next morning. I didn't register what was going on at first, but then I saw the small green phone symbol flash on my screen, indicating someone was calling me. I answered with a hello in my groggy morning voice.  
"Ah, Riku! I'm sorry, sweetie, did I wake you?" Mum's voice chirped on the other end.  
"No no, Mum, you didn't. How are you doing?" I sat up and stared out the window. The world outside was still dark, only the shadowed outlines of trees blowing gently in the breeze in view.

"I'm well. How're you? How's Saotome Academy? Have you made any friends?"  
"Yeah… I actually made friends with Mr. Shinomiya and Mr. Kurusu's kids. And my roommate is Mr. Jinguji's son."  
"Oh really? Oh, Riku, I'm so happy for you!"  
"Thanks…"  
"Listen, I called this early to give you some father's gotten an offer to work in Sapporo with an upcoming idol group."  
"Sapporo? That's hundreds of miles away!"  
"He hasn't decided on whether to go yet but I wanted you to know."  
I hummed in agreement. Sapporo was one of the most northern parts of Japan. It was a long trip, whether you go from Saotome Academy or from home.  
"Sorry again for ringing so early! I better get Hayato and Akira ready for school. We love you, Riku! So proud of you. Bye bye!" Mum said. I said my goodbyes before she hung up. Dad wanted to go so far away? He'd never moved away from us before. Not even if it was for a business investment. But if the group were becoming famous already, I don't see why he shouldn't…  
"Riku, who were you talking to?" Suzu muttered in the bed opposite.  
"Oh, just mum." I replied. He grumbled in response. I got up, getting dressed in my uniform. I knew it was early but I thought a walk would be good for me. I closed the door quietly behind me, I guess Suzu was still half awake? The moment I left the dorms, a cool wind hit me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The sun raised itself upon the horizon. A pink and purple sky mixed above me, slowly graduating to a blue as the sun climbed higher. A soft noise caught my attention. Gentle humming slowly turned into a melody. The male's voice carried through the courtyard and grew louder as I blindly tried to follow it. Quiet strumming sounds accompanied the sadness in his voice. The variety of notes the voice reached compelled me to follow the sound further. It seemed to be coming from the roof of one of the main school buildings. I entered the building and rushed to climb the stairs. The words became clearer with each step until I finally opened the door to the roof.

Sitting cross legged, close to the edge sat Kentaro. The light illuminated his blue hair as he faced the vast scenery of the school. Light cast itself across the tall buildings and bubbling fountains. An acoustic guitar sat in Kentaro's lap, cradled in one hand as he strummed.  
 _Ohhhhh, my dear don't cry over me._

 _I've noticed you since the beginning.  
I'd embrace you if that's what you need, _

_But I'll leave because you need that more._  
His singing cause a pang in my heart. I stood there, listening as he strummed the last few notes. Kentaro placed the guitar beside him, heaving a heavy sigh. My mouth moved to speak but it couldn't. It wasn't until I took a step towards him that he realised I was in his presence. He turned, getting up hastily.  
"You're that Ichinose kid, aren't you?" He questioned. I nodded. "Why are you here?"  
"I… Heard you singing. It… Uh, it was… Really sad…" He frowned "But I really liked it. You… Your song was brilliant, Hijirikawa."  
He blinked a few times with a single eyebrow raised. Kentaro went to speak before another voice came from behind me.  
"Well, here you are, Kentaro." Suzu's voice stated. I jumped in surprise. Suzu was dressed half-heartedly; hair messy and his shirt untucked. The school's tie draped around his neck undone and the blazer wrapped around his waist. Kentaro stood up. The sunlight reached higher across the school now. The anger and frustration in his eyes blazed through me. But he wasn't focusing on me. His attention was turned to Suzu. With his teeth bared, he ran at Suzu. His fist raised and brought down a harsh blow to the ginger. Suzu groaned as Hijirikawa straddled him, continuing to hit as Suzu tried to defend himself with raised arms and clenched fists. The sound of fists hitting flesh and groans from the two of them sounded throughout the rooftops.  
"Why are you always mocking me? Why am I always the failure when you're around?" Hijirikawa screamed. Suzu lashed out, trying to restrain the blue haired boy's arms.  
"It's not my fault! Everyone fails, get over yourself!"  
"No! It's always your fault! You're even the reason we broke up!"  
Their fighting got more intense, seeing marks appear on their skin. My hands trembled and thoughts told me to run. But my body thought otherwise.

"Stop!" I cried, trying to pull Hijirikawa off him. Somehow, I succeeded and toppled backwards. Footsteps echoed up the stairs, Mr. Saotome coming into view and yanked Suzu to his feet. Hijirikawa flailing wildly, thrashing his legs.  
"Mr. Hijirikawa, this is the last straw. I'm calling both your parents and Mr. Jinguji's so they can deal with you!" He barked. Hijirikawa stopped moving. "Both of you can wait in my office." Suzu scowled and winced as he touched his own cheek. He turned and followed behind Saotome. Hijirikawa shoved me off, following behind Suzu.  
"You too, Ichinose." Mr. Saotome's voice echoed from the stairwell. Why me? I hadn't done anything! But, not wanting to make the situation worse, I jogged to catch up to the three nearing the bottom of the stairs.

"The Jingujis and Hijirikawas will be here soon. All three of you sit quietly while I go sort out some paperwork." Saotome stated before closing the door behind him. I sat in between the two boys. I looked tentatively around the room. Super Saotome's office was very different to how I expected. A large projector hung from the wall behind an intricately designed wooden desk and swivel chair. The projector was hung between two large windows that overlooked the dorms and the classrooms closest to the school gates. Light from the windows illuminated the vast bookshelves and records that crowded the walls. Platinum records, gold records, all with the Saotome name. Some Super, some Shining. On top of the desk stood a small desktop computer, sprawling piles of paperwork, pens laying around without caps, just chaos. I glanced to Suzu and Hijirikawa. Neither looked at me nor at each other, simply glaring at opposite walls.  
"Um…" I muttered, trying to break the tension. Neither seemed to pay attention. "I… Think you.. Uh, two should…. Duet." I winced, expecting Hijirikawa to hit me. Nothing happened. I opened an eye. Hijirikawa had his head turned in my direction while Suzu didn't.  
"A duet?" Hijirikawa scoffed.

"Impossible."  
Silence fell between us. The two of them had spoken in unison. Their eyes locked. Neither smiled.  
"I gotta say, it'd make sense." Suzu stated. "I mean we've worked as part of Clover for, what, two years?"  
"A year and a half." Hijirikawa corrected.  
"Close enough."  
"And… Both your voices work well together. I don't know what happened between you two but… Uh… It wouldn't be right for you two to keep fighting like this."  
Silence befell us again. The door opened. Turning around, I saw four people striding through. Saotome walked behind his desk, taking a seat. The other three adults sat on either side of Suzu and Hijirikawa. Mr. Jinguji was almost exactly the same as he was in the photo Suzu hung up in our room. Tall, piercing blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair pinned back in a ponytail and a smart looking two-piece suit. It was as if someone grabbed a time machine and brought an older Suzu from the past. Next to Hijirikawa sat a man and a woman. The man, I recognised as Masato Hijirikawa. His blue hair was pushed back behind his ears. He wore a suit as well as a pair of thick glasses. He was similar to Hijirikawa but his mother had the same aura. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun. High cheekbones complimented her slender frame that hid behind a dark green, traditional kimono. Mr. Jinguji's eyes looked over at me, glinting with what seemed to be familiarity. I glanced at Mr. Hijirikawa who seemed to have done the same thing.  
"Pardon Hana's absence, she's currently on an important work project." Mr. Jinguji stated, smiling.  
"As long as she's ok, you don't need to apologise, Ren." Mr. Hijirikawa nodded.  
"Back to the matter at hand, gentlemen, and madam." Super nodded towards Mrs. Hijirikawa "Both Suzu and Kentaro were caught fighting upon the school rooftops by Riku here, who attempted to stop it. I wish to express my disappointment in your sons. Here at Saotome Academy, we don't tolerate violence or bullying." His brown eyes glinted through his black sunglasses.  
"I'm so sorry for my son's behaviour." Mr. Hijirikawa bowed his head.  
"I'm sorry for mine causing you trouble, Masa." Mr. Jinguji stated, frowning. Suzu and Kentaro looked at their parents. Then side glancing at each other.  
"Since this is a first offense from the both of them, I will simply give them warnings. But, if I ever catch them starting fights again, both of them will be expelled from the academy."  
Everyone in the room nodded.  
"I… I'm sorry, Kentaro." Suzu muttered, not making eye contact.  
"I should be the one apologizing, Suzu." Hijirikawa stated, turning to face Suzu. "I'm sorry I hit you, it was childish and stupid of me."  
"Apology accepted, old friend." Suzu held out his hand. They shook hands. Saotome nodded, allowing us all to leave. I walked in front of everyone in hopes of going back to work.  
"Hold up, young man." Mr. Hijirikawa's voice stated. I halted and slowly turned to face the two men standing in front of me.  
"I'm sorry if our boys caused you any trouble. We've tried to raise them right." Mr. Jinguji said, crossing his arms across his chest.  
"Oh it's okay, sir. Both Suzu and Kentaro and good guys. Just… Apparently have some things to work out." I laughed awkwardly. Mr. Hijirikawa let out a short breath, half smiling.  
"You not only look like your mother but you sound like her too." He stated. I looked between the two of them.  
"But he certainly has Toki's eyes." Mr. Jinguji laughed, earning a laugh from Mr. Hijirikawa. They walked passed me, patting my shoulders in unison. Mrs. Hijirikawa bowed her head towards me before joining her husband. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they continued down the hall whilst chatting idly.

"So… About that duet?" Suzu's voice questioned from behind. I yelped in shock. Suzu and Kentaro laughed.  
"Um… I can write you one if you like? It might work to combine the two songs you were singing."  
They nodded in unison and walked back with me to the dorms to brainstorm songs.

That afternoon, we used one of the recording rooms to record Suzu and Kentaro's duet, _Windows of the future_. By combining the lyrics of both solos, it ended up being quite a sad song but the emotion and raw passion within their singing ended up moving me to tears. Maki and Ryuya joined me in the recording room, making sure I was doing okay. Once they finished, Maki ran to the two of them, crying and hugging them.  
"Maybe next time, we can just do an upbeat Clover group song." Suzu whispered to me. Through Maki's sobs, I laughed slightly.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5-**

 **A/N- Thank you to everyone who has supported this story! I have 12 chapters planned for this fanfic and I'm just under half way. My goal for this year is to have posted at least up to chapter 7. Keep your eyes peeled for updates! Also- Thanks to my phenomenal bro for writing the Alexander's P.O.V. section of the chapter! Link to his account here-** **u/8428067/StrangerinCommonGround**

Super Saotome had called us into his office a few days after the initial recording of Suzu and Kentaro's song. When he called me out of class, my head was spinning. Why was he summoning me into his office? What did I do wrong?! I stood next to my friends, anxiously rubbing my arm.

"I presume," Saotome stated with his back to us, "you know why you're here."

"Actually, we don't." Kentaro replied.

Silence. Super Saotome turned to us, looking clearly confused.

"I thought I told you?"

We shook our heads.

"No matter." He stated. "You're here today because I've come to realise Mr. Ichinose's potential."  
Kentaro and Suzu glanced at me.  
"And I've come to realise your group's potential as well." He turned his laptop around, showing a poor quality video on the screen. The footage was grainy and shook as it showed the images of a younger Ryuya, Suzu, Deedee and Kentaro singing. A fifth boy stood on the stage with them, singing along. Even though the audio was distorted and echoing, They were only a few years younger than they were now but they looked so close. The five boys danced like they were being forced too, unlike the smooth movements I saw from Ryuya a week prior.  
"Ughhh.." Suzu groaned, hiding his reddened cheeks.  
"Of course, your talents have vastly improved since this video was released." Super laughed heartily.  
"Please turn it off," Suzu muttered in embarrassment. Super closed the laptop and the echoed singing stopped.  
"So, I want you, Mr. Ichinose, to compose a Clover song worthy of their debut performance."  
"De… Debut per...uh… Performance?" I stuttered. Super merely nodded.  
"Debut, my boy. Two idol groups in your year have currently shown to me and the other teachers that you have the passion and musical prowess to have a debut early. Normally at this school, we only give debuts at the end of the year. However, due to tensions rising in Permafrost, we have had to take into consideration one of your members. We may only be a few months into the year but it's as good a time as any."  
I nodded, glaring at the floor.  
"So, when do we debut?" Suzu asked.  
"You have two weeks to compose, choreograph and practice a debut hit."  
"Thank you." Kentaro bowed.  
"Now, go on and begin preparing."  
 _Wait… Permafrost? Where's that?_ I went to ask but Mr. Saotome had already left.

Exiting the office felt as though a weight had been dropped into my stomach. While Suzu and Kentaro began bouncing ideas off each other, my thoughts were cloudy. Debut performance? We weren't anywhere near finishing the year and Super thought we were good enough for it. What if I couldn't turn out something as good as my past songs? I'd only written two, after all. Everything seemed to be going so fast here. Was this how other composers felt before me?  
"Riku?" Kentaro's voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked at him. Stood next to him was Deedee and the fifth boy from the video. He was the tallest out of all of us with tied back blonde hair and pale blue eyes. His features were sharp enough to cut paper.  
"Like I was saying, Riku, this is Alexander and Deedee Kurosaki."  
"We've met before," Deedee stated blunty.  
"Ah, yeah…. Pleasure to meet you both." I smiled. Alexander simply studied me, not speaking. He looked at me like I was mud on his shoes. Deedee elbowed him in the side lightly, gesturing to me. Alexander gave him a look. " _Do I really have to talk to him?"_ Alexander expression screamed. " _Just shut up and be nice,"_ Deedee's expression replied.  
"Pardon my lack of greeting. The pleasure is all mine, Ichinose." Alexander smiled warmly and spoke with a deep, brooding voice. He extended his large hand to me. I shook his hand tentatively.  
"I… Uh… Can't wait to work with you." I replied.  
"It shall be an excellent venture."  
"Now, we need to have a meeting. I'll go grab Ryuya and we'll start brainstorming ideas," Suzu exclaimed, rushing off to find the shortest member.

We had gathered into one of the empty classrooms. The five Clover members… and their composer. I sat at the piano, looking over the music notes that had been left behind by whoever was here before. The notes seemed to have been hastily scribbled down and didn't seem in tune at all.  
"So, Ichinose, what do you think we should do?" Alexander asked.  
"Well… I haven't had much experience with your group dynamics. What songs do you normally sing to?"  
"We normally do stuff with heavy electric and bass guitar chords," Deedee replied, tapping his finger against his thigh.  
I nodded, writing down the notes.  
"Yeah but due to Young Lord's love of classical, we try to add in cello or piano music," Suzu added, gesturing towards Alexander.  
"Ok, piano might be good. I can play!"  
"We normally end up doing songs with more baritone notes. Alexander and Kentaro can reach lower notes but they're not quite bass. And I provide tenner notes," Subaru declared proudly.  
"That's because you're literally the youngest and shortest amongst us, weed." Deedee grinned.  
"What did you call me?!" Ryuya exclaimed, glaring at Deedee. I continued note taking, giggling to myself over Deedee's comment. While they playfully argued, Alexander waltzed over to where I sat.  
"I have had a small tune stuck in my head for a few days. Maybe that could help our debut?"  
"Oh… Sure, play them."  
He hummed a few bars softly. I looked down at the key on the piano. The four notes seemed closest to the notes he sang. D4, E4, F4, E4, F4, G4, F4, E4. The room fell silent.  
"Play that again?" Deedee asked.  
I repeated the notes.  
" _If I knew you would go away_ …" Deedee sang softly to the notes.  
" _Snow would never fall the same way_ …" Alexander replied to the second line of the repeated notes.  
"Ohhhhhh!" Ryuya exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. I hurriedly wrote down the notes and lyrics, feeling inspiration hitting me. I continued adding to the song they built up. Soon, the notes had crossing outs and lines written over the top of them.

Hours passed and the sun began setting, causing warm rays to seep through the window. Shadows hung over our side of the school. We set back to the boy's dorms, bouncing ideas off one another for the continuing lyrics and costume ideas. Clasping my notebook in my hand, I concentrated on the notes I had made, trying to make more as they talked.

"I'm not too sure about the second line of the chorus…" Kentaro stated as he and Suzu argue over the lyrics.

"We could try just changing up the wording?" Ryuya suggested, but to no response. My mind was focused on trying to keep up with what to take notes on, I didn't realise we had reached the dorms. The group thinned to Suzu and myself as we entered our dorm room. I sat on my bed, sighing in relief after all that happened.  
"You know, you are pretty good at songwriting for groups." Suzu stated.  
"Oh uh, thanks…" I laughed nervously. I'm _not_ used to compliments.  
"So… Why haven't we seen you around?"

I raised an eyebrow and asked what he meant. He stared into my eyes.  
"Well, like I've said before, out of all the members of our parent's groups, I've hardly ever seen you around. Like last year around Christmas. Dad hosted a huge Christmas party. Everyone and their kids turned up. Of course, the younger ones were in a separate room so us older generation could catch up. I remember Mr. and Mrs. Ichinose being there with two younger kids. Hayato and…. Akira was it?" He tapped his knee twice before nodding "Yeah, Akira. She's a little bundle of knowledge, huh? But I have no memory of you being there. Nor do I remember you at STARISH's 20 year anniversary last year. I remember everyone but… not you."  
I looked away from his face.  
"I was there… Yeah, I was there."  
"I really don't remember you…" Suzu muttered after a minute of silence.  
"No, I was! Remember when Deedee uh… fell into the pool? He was freezing. I had to grab a towel and-"  
"You're a bad liar, Ichinose."  
My breath caught in my throat.  
"I'm just going to bed. I'm really tired, you know?" I managed to say, changing into my pajamas and getting into bed as quickly as I could. My back was facing Suzu. Sweat poured down my forehead as I tried to remain as still as possible. Rustling caught my attention before I heard Suzu whisper goodnight and turn off the light.

The next day, we met up yet again to continue our work on the debut. When I looked over to Suzu, I'd catch him watching me. But he didn't say anything about last night. Maki had sent over some homemade snacks with Ryuya.

"She wanted to come see us but she was busy with Diamond Night," Ryuya explained as he ate a cookie. I took a bite of one and looked around. Kentaro and Deedee were discussing tea, Suzu was tuning a guitar and Ryuya sat beside me humming our tune for the debut song.

"Wait, where's Alexander?" I asked.

"He said he had to head home for the day. Didn't fully catch why but he left early this morning."

I frowned. I guess we could do one day without a member present?

"Ok, let's get the chorus sorted," Suzu announced.

"Should we though? I mean, Alexander isn't here. He won't be able to-"  
"Alex's got more important things to worry about right now." Deedee interrupted. His tone was bitter, almost angry. My mouth felt like it glued itself shut.  
"I was thinking for the chorus, we could add more vocals on the third line." He said, returning to normal. I glanced at Suzu but he was staring at Deedee. He looked worried.  
"Let's start again then, from the top."

Only an hour later and we'd come to an agreement on the song's lyrics. Without Alexander there, I had to sing in his place. A… Bad decision all round considering my old piano teacher told me my singing voice was almost dying cat levels of screeching rather than singing. Two of them ended up on the floor in a fit of laughter whilst I sat in embarrassment.

Two days passed as I was walking towards the meeting room yet again. This time my arms were full of costumes for Clover. With time against us, we had little time to create new outfits or ask someone else to create them. Our only options instead were to either let Clover wear whatever they wanted or the practical option of old costumes. I hurried up the stairs. Suddenly, I lost my footing. I tried to regain my balance but it was too late. I braved myself, eyes closed and costumes tight in my grip. Yet, I didn't feel the sharp pain of the floor. Instead I'd landed against someone's chest.

"Woah, Ichinose, you should be more careful."  
I looked up to see blonde hair draping over me.  
"Alexander!" I exclaimed.  
"You must watch your footing, particularly up these stairs." He chuckled. I straightened up, gripping the costumes.

"How was home?"

"Home was…" He frowned. "Home was fine, thank you."

"Good. Glad you're back!" He followed me to the room. Alexander stayed quiet until he opened the door.

"You're back!" Deedee exclaimed, pulling Alexander into a tight hug.

"Yeah…" He patted Deedee's back.

"Is everything okay, Young Lord?" Suzu questioned, patting his shoulder once they broke the embrace.

"Oh yeah, mother and father are well. Though, the Queen seems worried."

"Queen?" I asked. Japan doesn't have a Queen.

"Yes. She has been working herself very hard to keep everything together and it means mother and father are running around after her."

"Even with your sister on the way?" Deedee interrupted. Alexander shrugged.

"I told mother to worry about herself but she cannot seem to catch a break." He smiled but the bitter tone betrayed his voice. "Anyway, did you manage to finish the song without me?"

I handed him the music sheet. His blue eyes studied the notes while he hummed along.

"You do seem to have skills, Ichinose." He muttered.

"Thanks, I guess?"

"Saotome chose wisely. Our debut will be glorious." A gentle smile graced his lips. He didn't look up from the page.

"One more practice through everything. After that…" Kentaro mulled.

"After that, we'll be ready for the debut!" Ryuya grinned.

"I am glad to be back." Alexander replied.

The group's outfits consisted of black and white checked shirts, black trousers (or in Ryuya's case shorts) and boots. Each one focused on a varying coloured cape and a matching rose. Ryuya bounded in, his pink cape flowing.

"Ah I haven't worn this in forever!" He yelled, spinning on the spot. The rose perched in his hat fell off, only for Alexander to swoop down and grab it before it hit the floor.

"Honestly, Ryuya, you need to handle yourself better." Alexander chuckled.

"I'm just so excited!" He fist pumped the air, jumping up slightly. Suzu and Deedee laughed as they entered. Kentaro was too concerned in adjusting his cape.

"Dee, I am surprised you still have that cape." Alexander said, walking around the grey haired boy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Deedee said, accusation in his voice. He chuckled as Alexander wrapped an arm around his shoulders and prodded his cheek.

"Well, with the amount of times you ended up wearing it, it was a shock to see you had not lost it." Alexander side glanced at him.

"Oi! It's a cool cape. I ain't likely to lose this baby anytime soon." Deedee whipped his cape around his body, confidence gleaming in his eyes.

"I am pleased you have not lost it yet." Alexander said, posing beside his friend.

"Now, let's kick this rehearsal's ass!"

With the final notes on the piano, the Clover members posed dramatically. Their breathing ragged and sweat dripping down their faces. It was done. The final rehearsal was over. The group looked at me. Ryuya exclaimed in excitement as he jumped up and down.

"That went brilliantly!" He shouted whilst crushing Deedee in a hug.  
"Now, we're all set for tomorrow!" They cried, excitement electrifying the room.  
"And it's all thanks to you, Riku." Suzu casually stated. He leaned against the piano. I laughed out of nervous habit. A gentle knock came from the door. All six of us turned.  
"I will let them in. Possibly Mr. Saotome?" Alexander smiled, opening the door. He stepped back from the figure in front of him.  
"F-Father?" He whimpered. Alexander began shaking as he stepped further back into the room. The man who walked in looked like Alexander would in thirty or so years. Cold blue eyes, blonde hair tied behind him in a bun. No wrinkles interrupted his stern expression.  
"Oi, Perma-twat! You can't just barge in on the kid's rehearsal!" A gruffer voice shouted behind him.  
"Silence, fool." Alexander's dad barked. "Alexander, you are returning with me to Permafrost." The room fell silent, all eyes on Alexander and his dad.  
"W-What?"  
"You can't just take him back now!" The harsh voice shouted. Another older man with dark grey hair barged into the room, gripping Alexander's dad's shoulder. The two men were opposites. While Alexander's dad wore a crisp suit and had defined features, the grey haired man didn't. His clothing style was that of an old rock star with heterochromia.  
"Why're you here, old man?!" Deedee exclaimed.  
"I'm trying to get this idiot to stop taking his son back to Permafrost." Deedee's dad responded.  
"What I do with my child is none of yours or anyone else's business." Alexander's dad swatted the rocker's hand away from his shoulder.  
"You can't just take him away before the show!" Deedee stood his ground in front of Alexander. His father glared daggers at Deedee.  
"I can and I will. With the tensions amongst our nation and my wife on the verge of giving birth… I need him to move back home."  
I stood up, the other members of Clover slowly moving towards the unfurling scene. Alexander and his father kept their eyes locked on one another.  
"I just want to complete the debut… Then I'll come back home. Please, father, this may be my only chance." Alexander said.  
"You are coming back with me." Alexander's father grabbed his wrist and turned to leave, Deedee and the rocker staring dumbfounded and confused at the two of them.  
"Please, sir." I said "Just let him perform the debut."  
The father stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards me. His blue eyes stared me down. A flash of recognition passed by his eyes.  
"Camus, be reasonable. The kids are so close to their debut. Alissa isn't going to pop anytime within the next few days." The rocker placed a large hand onto Camus' shoulder. His blue eyes locked with mine for a moment before continuing with taking Alexander away. Alexander squirmed in his father's grip. Ryuya and Deedee went to run after the two of them, closely followed by Deedee's dad. I rushed after them. Alexander can't leave yet! I quickly caught up to the two dads. They were now in pursuit of Ryuya, Deedee and Alexander.  
"Stop this instant!" Alexander's dad shouted after them.  
"Not until you let me sing in the debut!" Alexander shouted back, sprinting at full speed. They soon ran out of the building and into a large courtyard. When I reached the door to the outside, I bumped into Deedee's dad, who had stopped. I peered my head around his body. The group had stopped in front of a long black car. Standing in front of the car was a round faced, brunette woman. Her hands were clasped in front of her pregnant stomach.  
"Alexander, my dear snowflake." She smiled, eyes brimming with tears. The woman embraced him.  
"Mother!" He hugged her back. They slowly pulled away. One of her hands clung to his forearm while the other rested on his cheek.  
"I have missed you." She sobbed. He hugged her again, saying he had missed her as well.  
"Please, Mrs. Camus. Let Alexander stay with us just until our concert is over." Ryuya bowed in front of her. Deedee hesitated but followed.  
"Mother, I need to stay here if I want to follow my dream of being an idol. I beg of you to let me stay."  
She wiped her tears.  
"I'm so sorry, my snowflake. The Queen needs her servants and maids by her side in these troubling times between Permafrost and Japan. I would worry about you too much."

He looked back to us, confused and afraid.  
"I… I…" Alexander stuttered. Silence fell. He looked to Deedee like a helpless child. I watched him communicate with Deedee simply through facial expressions. With a deep sigh, Alexander turned away from us, stepping into the car.  
"NO!" Ryuya and I called.  
His mother walked around to the other side of the car as Camus sat in the front passenger's seat. As the car drove away, my feet began running after it. Suzu and Ryuya ran alongside me. The gate closed as the car left. I clutched the gate as Ryuya began rattling it. He kept swearing and shouting for Alexander to come back.  
"Young lord will be back, he has to." Suzu whispered.

"He'll be on the plane back to Permafrost soon enough, he's not coming back!" Ryuya yelled with a strain in his voice.  
"Maybe Saotome can postpone the debut until we sort this out?" I suggested.  
"Impossible." Saotome's voice said from behind me. I jumped, rattling the gate further "Everything has been set up, we can't cancel the performance on such short notice."

"But we're missing a key member!" Suzu argued.  
"There's nothing we can do. You'll have to go on without Mr. Alexander." He turned, walking back.  
"Then we'll protest! We can't go on without him!" Ryuya stated.  
"If you do that though, it'll hurt your future careers as idols. If you cancel now, when will you get to debut again?"

We stood in silence. Without a word, Mr. Saotome turned, expecting us to follow him. Deedee kicked a nearby stone, swearing as it skipped across the courtyard. He looked over at me, his face scowling with his hands balled into tight fists. I frowned back at him. I wanted the group to perform. This was the whole reason they came to the academy. I began following Mr. Saotome. Ryuya tried to protest but with Suzu in tow, he couldn't protest as much. As we trudged into the building, Mr. Saotome suggested we go to an empty room and discuss what would happen next. The room was silent, illuminated by the slow sunset. The red and orange hues illuminated each of us as I sat down.

"I hate to sound selfish at a time like this…" Suzu began "But we need to just do the debut. Riku, can you edit the song so we don't have Young Lord in it?"

"I… can try." I responded.  
"Good. We'll get to reworking the choreography and trust you to get it done. Let's go." He waved his hands for the other members to stand up. They did but Deedee stood with his hands in his pockets. Suzu began playing music and I began looking over the song notes.

~Alexander's P.O.V.~

The moment we reached the hotel, I made immediately for my room, dove onto my bed and screamed my frustrations into my pillow. From there, I simply lost the will to pull it away and accept my fate. Circumstances beyond my control had dashed my dreams. To think, I was hours away from standing on that stage, supporting my friends, following on my father's legacy. And now _he_ was the one trying to stop me. I wanted to feel angry at him, but I didn't even have the will for that.

Someone rapped against the door. I couldn't make an effort to reply. Why couldn't they just go away? Hadn't they done enough damage? "Alexander…" said my father. "The plane for Permafrost leaves in three hours. Are you ready?"

I threw my tear-stained pillow against the door. How dare he say something like that! Now I couldn't help but feel angry. "Father, how could you?" I said. "Did you know this was gonna happen? That we could've been called back to our nation on such short notice?"

He didn't reply at first. I turned on my back and glared at the door. "I never wanted this to happen," he muttered softly, his words barely getting through the door. "Truth be told, Her Highness was strongly against this trip in the first place. I only persuaded her to allow it by saying it could potentially strengthen relations between our nations." He sighed. "Me and your mother… we tried to buy you as much time as we could."

"Ha!" I jumped out of bed and swiped the pillow from the floor. "You know better than anyone how much this means to me, father. Did _your_ parents pull you out of Saotome at the last minute, hm?"

"Tensions between our nations weren't as-"

"Father, please!" I banged my fist against the door, the anguish rising in my heart once again. The stream of tears resumed. "I was looking forward to tonight more than anything… Nothing…" I cleared my throat. "Nothing in Permafrost means as much to me as this. If I could just have that, that one good night with my friends… I'll happily go back to Permafrost without complaint." I sniffled. "That is all I ask."

My father gave no word of reply. All I could hear was him tapping against his phone, it vibrating against his palm. I peeked through the crack in the door. Who was he trying to call?

~Riku's P.O.V.~

The next three days went by quickly and soon enough, we were only two hours before the debut. Clover members ran past me left and right as I continued sweeping and washing the stage floor. With nothing left to do for the group, I felt I needed to help get the stage set. I sighed, sweeping the last corner of the large stage.  
"Hey, stage is looking good." Deedee's voice called from behind. He leaned against the stage door, clad in his old uniform.  
"Thanks, it's the least I can do to help you guys set up. Lights seem to be fine and mics are set up."  
He nodded. A frown crossed his face as he crossed his arms.  
"Think we can do this without him?"  
I crossed my arms.  
"Why the sudden doubt?"  
"I ain't doubting the group's talent… It's like removing the meat from a stew. It's still good and works. But it's just not the same, you know?"  
I walked closer and patted his shoulder.  
"You'll still be friends even when he's in Permafrost, right?"  
"Of course! But with Permafrost's queen not wanting relations with Japan, it'll be harder and harder to keep in contact."  
We stood for a moment before the others gathered on the stage. With the curtains drawn, no one could see us. Only a few murmurs and whispers from others came from the other side.  
"Let's get this over with…" Suzu stated. "Once this debut is done, we can begin working on becoming idols! We've dreamt of this day since we were kids and if we pull this off, it'll be the beginning of the rest of our lives."  
Each member put their hands together in between them. Suzu looked between me and the other's hands. I slowly placed my hand on top.

"Clover!" We shouted in unison.

Suddenly, the thundering of heavy footsteps caught my attention. Whilst the others continued talking, the thundering kept getting closer. Heavy, rhythmic footsteps continued followed by the sound of heavy breathing and shouts. I felt my heart begin it's own drumming faster. Kentaro and Deedee noticed too.  
"Who could that be?" Kentaro asked  
"I don't know, but they sound pretty angry." I replied. Maybe Saotome was cancelling the debut? A rival idol group wanting to wreck the performance? The solid door swung open aggressively. Me and Ryuya screamed in fear as I clung to Suzu.

The door revealed a panting, slightly sweaty Alexander, clad in the same uniform the other members wore.  
"Am I too late to perform?"  
The uproar of happiness and applause that followed the members running to his side. They hugged and cheered. I followed, smiling as wide as I could.  
"How did you get back here? I thought you'd be trapped in Permafrost forever!"  
"He realised that being in Clover was the only way for me to follow my dream as an idol." He turned to me. "It was your music that convinced him more than anything."  
"M… Me?" I stuttered, my face heating.  
"Your music reminded him of his time in Quartet Night and he felt compelled to send me back."  
Alexander wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.  
"I'm in your debt." He said, pulling away with a bright grin on his face.  
"No… No, it's ok. I'm just… Gla- Glad you're here."  
I heard Kentaro sigh, mumbling about having to remember the old routine when Mr. Saotome entered.  
"Ah, Alexander! I'm so pleased your father saw the error of his ways! Now boys, good luck on the debut." He gave a thumbs up as he spun out of the room.

"Hands in again." Suzu announced as we reenacted our previous hands in cheer. Except now with Alexander in the mix. I gave them a quick "Good luck!" Before running back towards the main seating area.

Being on the other side of the curtain was far different. Most of the people waiting in the darkened room were girls around my age with signs and colourful glow sticks. They excitedly chattered amongst themselves. Maki waved me over to the empty seat beside her. On the other side were a group of other girls with the Saotome uniform. Saotome sat in the row behind us along with the Clover member's parents sitting nearby.  
"Riku, I was worried you wouldn't find us!" She said as I sat beside her.  
"I was just wishing everyone good luck!"  
The sound of a guitar riff caused everyone to go silent. The fans behind us began cheering and screaming. The curtains raised dramatically and lights illuminated each idol individually. They struck dramatic poses and began dancing as they sang along. I didn't recognise the song at first until Ryuya sang the first line. It… was the song I wrote. I hadn't realised it would sound like this. The rhythms combined with the selected instruments made the song flow. I found myself tapping along as my body swayed. Maki was dancing in her seat, seemingly enjoying the music. Glancing behind to the parents and Mr. Saotome made my eyes widen. Mr. Saotome's jaw hung open as he just stared at the performance. Uncle Syo was smiling wide, bopping to the music with the others.

"That was brilliant, Clover!" Saotome shouted, wrapping his arms around all five members. "You will make a fine new idol group for the Saotome name!"  
"Thank you, Mr. Saotome. We'd be honoured." Suzu stated, attempting to leave the grip.  
"Now, Mr. Ichinose, I have a new challenge for you." Mr. Saotome pointed straight at me.  
"What... What chall-challenge?"  
"You must make the same kind of beautiful music for the second most promising idol group in your year."  
He pointed towards the stage door. Standing there were Maki, Harumi Aijima and three other girls.  
"Hey hey, we're Diamond Night!" A brunette girl cheerfully explained.  
"You will be writing songs for our debut performance too." Harumi grinned.  
"I'll bet it won't be as good as ours." Suzu challenged, crossing his arms and staring directly at Harumi. She chuckled.  
"We'll see about that."


End file.
